Stay safe

Manhattan: The death of NYPD Officer Randolph Holder was a senseless tragedy. But placing blame for accused gunman Tyrone Howard’s actions on his landlord, the New York City Housing Authority, is irrational (“NYCHA’s long push to bar thug,” Oct. 22). Evicting a person charged with a crime and separating him from his family does not increase public safety.

What is proven to reduce recidivism is stable housing, family support, treatment and employment. Increasing homelessness with more evictions does the opposite: It erodes public safety and ostracizes individuals from the family and social supports necessary to lead a law-abiding and productive life.

Howard had no prior violent convictions, and the court had diverted him to drug treatment. NYCHA had taken steps to investigate and monitor whether he posed a threat to the safety of other tenants.

Without a crystal ball, no one could have predicted the future. Instead, the courts and NYCHA made logical decisions based on the best evidence available about how to prevent recidivism and violence. In the wake of a tragedy, playing the blame game in order to make sense of a senseless act is foolish. Ann Jacobs, Director
Prisoner Reentry Institute, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Black and blue

Manhattan: Not long after the murder of yet another police officer in the line of duty, people started asking what is worse: the death of an officer or that of a black man? I offer something no one ever talks about: similarities. Too many in minority communities are reluctant if not defiant when it comes to cooperating with police, even when they themselves are the victims of a crime. No one wants to be a snitch. As to police, the only wall more formidable than the one in China is the blue one that goes up instantly whenever a police officer is involved in the questionable death of a citizen. Larry Donnell Fowler

Decade and done

Lynbrook, L.I.: Give anyone found in possession of an illegal gun an automatic 10 years in prison. No deals. If a crime has been committed, too, give them 10 years on top of their sentence. Eileen Appel

Sharpton’s law

Brooklyn: I was happy to hear that Al Sharpton was not going to Officer Randolph Holder’s funeral after his fiancée announced he had disliked Sharpton. When other officers were killed, you never heard Sharpton mentioned. One officer was Asian, one was Latino and the other Caucasian — that’s why. Sharpton was not doing this because another officer was murdered; he was getting attention because a black man killed a black officer. Emily Cole

Gas tanks

Fishkill, N.Y.: Just wondering: If the price of gas increases in the middle of 2016, will Social Security recipients like me and my wife get retroactive increases to our monthly payments? Of course not. I do have a solution, however: The government should immediately repay the trillion dollars borrowed from the Social Security system and reimburse the 65 million recipients the $15,384.62 (if my math is correct) that is owed each of us. Bill Barish

Ca-ching

Brooklyn: No Social Security raise because gas prices are low? What does that have to do with senior citizens, who mostly don’t drive anymore? Once, the rising cost of goods and services were blamed directly on the high price of fuel. Now that the price of fuel has dropped dramatically, how come we don’t see the price of groceries and other services also dropping? Food for thought. Christopher Burner

Abuse no excuse

Hewitt, Tex.: I found the article about the S.C. teen terribly biased (“Outrage in classroom,” Oct. 27). The fact that the teen is in foster care is no excuse for her disrespect or disregard of the rules. I was sexually, physically and emotionally abused for 17 years but have never been defiant to a police officer. Having a rough life does not give people permission to treat others, especially people in authority, like nothing. Candice Benavidez

Getting testy

Little Neck: I read with interest “Yeshiva ‘Cheats’ ” (Oct. 26). I have taught at yeshivas, including United Talmudical Academy. The secular education at many ultra-Orthodox schools is marginal at best. Classes are huge and unruly, and students are not encouraged to speak English. English classes are held late in the day, when students are tired, bored and overworked. It is no wonder that the teachers are helping with these exams, for which students are ill prepared. Cary Groden

Trump-Cruz 2016

Williamsburg, Va.: Do I smell a Trump- Cruz ticket? If so, it’s going to be a powerful one-two punch. Ted Cruz has been sucking up to Donald Trump to pick up Trump supporters if the lead horse drops out of the race, and to unite himself with Trump so that he can be running mate should Trump become the presidential nominee. Both are tenacious fighters who never give up. With Trump’s proven ability in economics and Cruz’s role as a top Tea Party reformer, the Republican Party would have a very formidable team to challenge the Clinton ticket. John Lemandri

Hello, Hillary

Briarwood: Liar, liar, pantsuit on fire! Patricia Nuzzi

None of the above

North Bergen, N.J.: Too often, voters who don’t like the ballot choices offered stay home. But not politicians interpret their not showing up to vote as a license to continue screwing things up. Voters should know that choosing from the candidates on the ballot or not voting are not the only choices available. The voter can choose “none of the above.” One way is to vote by write-in. The other way is to show up at the polls and sign in, but not cast a vote for a candidate. This raises the total number of votes cast and reduces the percentage of the vote obtained by candidates on the ballot. If a significant number of voters begin to show up on a regular basis, it would put our politicians on notice: If they don’t address the real needs of all their constituents, sooner or later this bloc of voters will attract a candidate willing to work for all the people. “None of the above” sends a real message and can make a real difference. Irving A. Gelb

Statehood now

Manhattan: Voicer Alan B. Velez is just another malcontent living in New York and trying to speak for the people living in Puerto Rico, who have tried over and over to vote for statehood and who have been beaten down by those trying to take over and create a kingdom for themselves by forcing them to vote for independence. Like Hawaii, Puerto Rico was given the right to vote for statehood and all its advantages. It is connivers like Velez who have prevented the growth and enrichment the people of this Island could be enjoying. Rosa Rios

Supportive housing works

Manhattan: The number of voices calling on the state to create more supportive housing is growing. The reason is simple: stable, affordable housing combined with community-based support services to keep people housed and healthy is proven to end homelessness. Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio have before them a taxpayer-friendly blueprint to create 35,000 units of supportive housing to address homelessness. If they do not act soon, the number of vulnerable New Yorkers on the streets or unstably housed will only increase, and overwhelm state and local budgets. Kristin Miller

Director, New York CSH

Move it

Rego Park: Re “Key Pol backs E. River tolls,” Oct. 27: No hard data supports Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer’s claim that East River bridge tolls will reduce traffic congestion in Queens. Besides, where would those displaced vehicles go? Construction in Long Island City has replaced almost every parking lot. Where can drivers leave their cars? Much of the new construction received real estate tax breaks. So why should it fall to motorists to pony up the estimated $1.5 billion a year that MoveNY claims its plan will raise? In the discussions about raising money for mass transit and decaying infrastructure, everything should be on the table. Arthur L. Miller

TCM classics

Ridge, L.I.: Relax, Voicer Lori Jones: TCM is still the same wonderful channel it’s always been. They still show plenty of classic movies and great specials. And they have been mentioning the deaths of Maureen O’Hara and Joan Leslie, and just honored O’Hara with a 24-hour tribute. Nick Ziino